American Airlines
More and more people with disabilities are broadening their horizons through travel - especially air travel. Every year, well over a million of American Airlines and American Eagle's 90 million customers are travelers with disabilities. American and American Eagle want every customer to enjoy flying as much as we do. For that reason, we consult with disabilities groups for advice on customer service and accessibility issues. We also maintain a team of specialists whose mission is to make flying as safe, convenient and dignified as possible for our customers with disabilities. We hope the following information will be helpful as you plan your trip.
Please consider the following information as guidance. Should you require special assistance, please contact your travel agent or speak to an American Airlines Reservations Representative directly at 1-800-433-7300 (TDD for hearing and speech impaired: 1-800-543-1586).
Booking Your Reservation
On AA.com
On AA.com, you can record your request for assistance from among the following selections:
Wheelchair Assistance (one of three options):
Passenger can walk but requires wheelchair for distance to/from gate (see agent for wheelchair)
Passenger can walk but needs assistance up/down stairs. A Special Assistance Coordinator will contact the passenger to make arrangements.
Passenger cannot walk and needs assistance to seat on plane. A Special Assistance Coordinator will contact the passenger to make arrangements.
Therapeutic Oxygen
For customers who require therapeutic oxygen inflight, a 48-hour notice is required. A $100 charge is assessed per flight segment.
Visually Impaired
Passenger is visually impaired and needs guidance assistance.
Hearing Impaired
Passenger is hearing impaired and needs assistance.
On Other Travel Web Sites
If your reservation was booked on a Web site other than AA.com, you may make arrangements for special assistance by calling AA Reservations directly at 1-800-433-7300 or TDD 1-800-543-1586.
Special Assistance Level And Type
Assistance Level
Every person with a challenge or disability is different and you are the best judge of the service you require. American and American Eagle employees are trained to assist our customers with disabilities. If we are doing more or less than you need, please let us know. American and American Eagle have specially trained employees at every airport to answer your questions or resolve an issue. American also has a centralized internal corporate resolution staff to assist airport personnel, available by telephone 24 hours a day.
Assistance Type
American and American Eagle offer a wide variety of special assistance, most commonly:
TDD reservation services
Assistance from the ticket counter to the aircraft
Assistance to connecting flights
Courtesy wheelchairs
Braille Safety Briefing cards
Airport And Boarding Assistance
Airport Assistance
If you have a hearing disability
Airports are noisy places. Large, open spaces and crowds make it difficult for people to hear and communicate. For that reason, airports feature signage designed to help with navigation. Visual information concerning flight status appears in the way of updated Departure and Arrival screens throughout airports and information screens behind all gate counters. Please advise an agent working your flight that you have a hearing disability so that they may alert you to important flight information.
If you have a vision disability
Please request assistance if you have a vision disability. An American Airlines or American Eagle agent will assist you to the ticket counter or help you to your gate. If you would like a courtesy wheelchair upon arrival, this may be arranged in advance when you make your reservation or requested at the airport. If you seek arm assistance or directions only please indicate this when making your reservation, or to an airport representative.
If you have a mobility disability
Airport Electric Carts
Some airports have electric carts to assist customers in covering distances quickly. These vehicles operate continuously, are available for all customers, and may not be prereserved.
Airport Courtesy Wheelchair Assistance
Airport courtesy wheelchair service is available to transport you to your departure gate and during your connection, if applicable. Although you can arrange to claim your chair at the connecting city, we recommend that it be checked through to your final destination. The additional time required to claim and recheck your chair at the connecting city may compromise your ability to make your connection. Please let us know if you will need this assistance when making your reservation.
It is also a good idea to remind the airport agent that you will need a wheelchair or other mobility assistance at your destination or connecting city. Although not required, advance notice and confirmation of arrangements helps us to provide you with timely service.
Boarding Assistance
Upon request, preboarding assistance will be provided to you, allowing you the opportunity to be seated prior to general boarding. Please advise the agent if you desire preboarding due to your disability.
Assistance Inflight And Aircraft Accessibility
Braille Safety Cards
Every American Airlines and American Eagle aircraft has Safety Briefing Cards printed in Braille and large print for our customers who have vision disabilities.
Captioned Safety Video
Where aircraft safety briefings are administered by video, open captioning is provided as standard for our customers with hearing disabilities.
Individual Safety Briefings
Individual safety briefings are given to any customer who requests them. Included in the briefing is an explanation of exit locations, as well as communication regarding the most efficient and appropriate way to provide assistance.
Stowage of Carry-on items
Assistance with loading and retrieval of carry-on items and small assistive devices stowed onboard the aircraft is furnished upon request.
Onboard Wheelchair
Flight attendants will provide assistance to customers in getting from their seats to the aircraft lavatory and back during flight by using the onboard wheelchair. Every jet aircraft has a collapsible chair available, custom-designed for onboard use. Customers must be semi-ambulatory and able to transfer themselves into and out of these chairs.
Moveable Aisle Armrests
Maneuverability and increased personal space is very desirable onboard aircraft. For that reason, American's high proportion of moveable aisle armrests within the main cabin of every jet in the fleet is particularly important for our customers with disabilities.
Select from among the aircraft types listed below to determine the location of moveable aisle armrests, accessible lavatories and other onboard information
Service Animals
American Airlines and American Eagle welcome service animals used by persons with disabilities. An animal may accompany a customer with a disability in the aircraft cabin, provided the animal can be accommodated without obstructing an aisle. Service animals may not block an aisle or other area used for emergency evacuations.
There is no charge for service animals used by customers with disabilities. A harness, tag or vest indicating status as a service animal will be helpful in distinguishing them to airport personnel. However, credible verbal assurance that the animal is providing a service to assist with a disability will suffice should an inquiry be made.
Quarantine restrictions may apply. Your reservations agent or travel agent will be happy to check destination regulations for you.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support service animals are service animals that provide emotional support to an individual with a mental health-related disability. Per the Department of Transportation, we require appropriate documentation to permit emotional support animals to travel in the passenger cabin.
Advance notice of at least 48 hours and check in one hour in advance before the general public is required to ensure all paperwork is in order.
Specifically, we require current documentation (no later than one (1) year from the date of the passenger’s scheduled initial flight). The documentation must meet the following criteria:
On letterhead of a licensed mental health professional including a medical doctor specifically treating the passenger’s mental or emotional disability (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker) stating the following:
that passenger has a mental health related disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM IV)
that having the animal accompany the passenger is necessary to the passenger’s mental health or treatment
the individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional and the passenger is under his or her professional care
the date and type of the mental health professional’s license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued
All of the above specific criteria must be provided to accept your emotional support or psychiatric service animal for travel in the passenger cabin. If all requirements are not met, the animal will travel as a pet in the cabin or cargo.
To make arrangements for the transportation of an emotional support or psychiatric service animal, please call Reservations at 1-800-433-7300.
Service Animals Traveling To The United Kingdom
Effective January 24, 2008, American Airlines is approved to carry service animal cats or dogs to the U.K. A disabled passenger must obtain and present a pre-approval letter issued from the animal reception center in the passenger's destination city. The passenger must also possess the original health documentation used to obtain the pre-approval letter. For pre-approval requirements go to: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine*
Passengers may also call the following Animal Reception Center:
London Heathrow (LHR) (011) 44 208 745 7894
Manchester (MAN) (011) 44 161 489 8220
If service animals are disruptive or too large to fit under the seat or at the passenger's feet without encroaching on another passenger's space or protruding into the aisle, it will need to travel in a kennel (provided by the passenger) in the cargo hold. The kennel must meet IATA kennel and size requirements for the animal. Temperature restrictions apply to ensure the safety of the animal.
Wheelchairs And Other Mobility Assistive Devices
American Airlines and American Eagle accept motorized and non-motorized mobility assistive devices for transport. When necessary, we will disassemble and reassemble wheelchairs or other assistive devices for our customers when they travel. It is helpful to us if you provide written instructions to assist us in this process.
Carry-On Assistive Devices
Canes, walkers, CPAP machines and other assistive devices capable of being collapsed small enough to fit into approved overhead and under seat stowage areas are welcome and do not count toward your carry-on item limit.
They must be small enough to be stowed in such a manner as not to protrude into any seating row floor space or main aisle. Items such as seat cushions, detachable control boxes, armrests or footrests may also be carried on board with you.
Assistance stowing carry-on baggage that meets baggage limits is available for customers with disabilities who request extra assistance. Due to storage limitations, some equipment or devices may have to be checked as baggage if it is not required during flight. All assistive devices must be packed separately from normal baggage to avoid baggage charges.
Onboard Wheelchair Storage
American Airlines (and American Eagle jet aircraft) has a designated closet space in the cabin of each aircraft to accommodate one collapsible wheelchair. In most cases, more than one wheelchair can be accommodated, provided the space is available. This space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, some wheelchairs can collapse to fit either in an overhead bin or beneath a seat.
Non-collapsible wheelchairs or scooters are acceptable as checked luggage. These items may be checked in at either the ticket counter or the departure gate.
Wheelchair Check-In
Non-collapsible wheelchairs and other mobility assistive devices are accepted as checked baggage. These items can be checked in at the main ticket counter or at the departure gate. We ask customers with battery-powered wheelchairs to check in at the main ticket counter at least one hour prior to departure to ensure proper boarding of the chair.
We make every effort not to disassemble a wheelchair or scooter; however, the small size of some airplane cargo doors and the contents of some batteries require disassembly. For that reason, it is helpful to have the assembly and disassembly instructions with you, as well as any specialized tools that may be required.
Wheelchair Batteries
For safety reasons, we must examine all batteries to determine proper handling. For all batteries not labeled by their manufacturer as 'non-spillable', and for wheelchairs which cannot be loaded, stowed, secured, and unloaded in an upright position at all times, removal and airline dangerous goods packaging procedures apply.
For disabled passengers, there is no charge for transporting wheelchairs or for the use of courtesy wheelchair services.